Motorcycles and news

Ducati and NCR build New Blue November 22, 2006

NCR has been commissioned to create a modern replica of “Old Blue”—the 1977 Daytona winning 750SS campaigned by Cook Neilson and Phil Schilling throughout the mid 1970’s.Cook Neilson, the then editor of Cycle magazine, possessed a unique combination of skills making him successful as both a journalist and a racer. With the help of Managing Editor and ace mechanic Phil Schilling, they were able to build the 750SS into a remarkably successful race bike through a remarkable combination of experimentation, tuning and rider skill. Phil quickly nicknamed the motorcycle “Old Blue” in reference to the team’s attractive livery.

Ducati and NCR build New Blue

On March 11th, 1977 the team celebrated a monumental victory in the AMA Superbike race at the legendary Daytona Speedway. The first win for Ducati at Daytona, the race was a significant event in Ducati’s American history. To commemorate the 30th anniversary of this historic event, a recreation of this motorcycle has been built by NCR.

Ducati and NCR unveil New Blue

“New Blue,” which began life as a Ducati SportClassic Sport 1000 S, was sent to NCR’s factory for cosmetic replication and race preparation. NCR was able to remove an astounding eighty-four pounds of dry weight and add an additional 30 horsepower to the motorcycle. This was achieved by the usage of lightweight materials such as titanium, carbon fiber and magnesium throughout the project. The revised engine output is 116hp at 8450rpm. The motorcycle was completed with a titanium plate bearing the signatures of both Cook Neilson and Phil Schilling.

The North American introduction of the motorcycle will take place at Ducati New York on Thursday, January 18th. The motorcycle will be on display at the remainder of the 2007 IMS Motorcycle Shows. In addition, NCR will be building a limited quantity of these special production motorcycles for the American market.